MBB: NESCAC

[SpringSt7]

With Civiello putting NESCAC POTY-type stats so far as a sophomore (19-9-4 on 56 percent shooting including 47 from 3) and looking like a legit centerpiece of the team for the next few seasons, that's another program where the future looks bright.   

We have not seen this at the undergraduate level in the NESCAC yet but given the transfer boom, a 6'10 dude with two years of eligibility left who shows 47% from 3? His phone will be ringing soon, if it isn't already

Shrug

[ItsATuftSituation]

Excited to get back to it this weekend for some NCAA action...

Looking at league awards, when does that even come out? Soon, saw NESCAC released hockey today, maybe later this week. I still think Scott Gyimesi is going to be POTY, for his career body of work. I just have that hunch, saw it a couple years ago in football with Michael Berluti at 1st Team QB. Coaches tend to do that.

I assume there will be two All-NESCAC Jumbos, I'll say Bernstein gets 2nd Team over Medley by a slight edge.

Reilly has to be COTY, and Neville ROTY.

Good luck to all teams this week.

[ImTold]

I'm Told Scott Gyemesi has a broken ankle

[SpringSt7]

I have Vetter POY. I don't really care about the rest of them and I think they have wholly butchered the all league awards so I don't even care to do first team let alone try and decide who the 13th and 14th best players are. But I think Vetter is the player of the year. I would have no problem with Cuevas winning it and would have a little bit of an issue with Gyemesi winning it but not a huge one.

I do feel (weirdly) strongly about Vetter over Okorougo. I know this will come across as a bit of a hot take after Sunday but Vetter is so clearly their most important offensive player. He makes everyone better. Okorougo just lets mid ranges fly 24/7 and that is largely it, he is not super effective driving to the hoop nor does he post up. He is low volume 3 pt shooter and fairly inefficient at the line despite flopping on most jump shots. He has taken 100 more shots than anyone else on the team and has a negative A/TO ratio. I have been banging this drum for a while since he was ahead of Vetter on AA teams last year and while I feel bad issuing this opinion in this fashion because Okorougo is an outstanding outstanding player who should again be a fringe All American. But I think it would be wrong to give him POY if someone from Trinity gets it.

[D3BBALL]

Wow, surprised re Civello.  Definitely would be a blow but of course easier to make that call when the coach who recruited you is fired.  Will he interesting to see what sort of offers he gets - he easily has D1 size and skills at the 5, but not the typical D1 athleticism.  But I assume he has reason to believe there will be Patriot / Ivy type interest if he's putting his name out there.

As you say he has some upside, but he is no way ready to play D1 certainly not at the Patriot/Ivy type schools. He would be a huge defensive liability and just don't see him being able to do the same things offensively as he does in the NESCAC.

Good comparison is Callahan Gold, who is 2-3 inches shorter, but they both like to play from the outside. But Civello is nowhere near as athletic as Gold was. Gold could handle the ball a little, could come off screens shooting, could shoot a pull up, and would play down low, rebound etc. Civello does not do those things yet. Gold had a good year for Binghamton, mostly coming off the bench and shot the ball well. But it was on basically a 500 team. Civello is not a Sobel or Murray, so doesn't impact the game down low on either end. Sobel had a great year at Sacred Heart yet on a 500 team, but again totally different players and Murray did ok as a bench player for Merrimack but not the player he was at Conn.

Civello, IMO, would be better off staying in D3, there are plenty of high academics outside NESCAC that would want him. Babson, WPI, Brandies, MIT, NYI etc. But if he goes D1, he most likely has to sit out a year to get his body to where it needs to be to even have a shot to play at the level. In the meantime, the same school that took him in will be looking to replace him with a better option.

Would be interesting to know why he is leaving especially if he goes to another D3 school.

Civello is like 5-6 inches taller than Callahan-Gold. I think he is a clear D1 player. He is 6'10 and can really shoot it. We see these guys go into the portal and automatically imagine them as trying to play the same role at a higher level. Has anyone watched Patriot League basketball recently? He can pretty easily play 15 minutes a game as a back up big. Not to mention the improved strength and conditioning program that is nearly year round and more tailored to him as a player. He is never going to move like Shaq but if he went and played at Holy Cross I bet you would see a lot more shoulder definition.

Gold is 6-7 Civello is 6-10 so more like 3 inches. But their style of play is similar and Gold, not a great defender, is/was way better than Civello as a defender in NESCAC play, Gold averaged almost 7 rebounds per game on a much better teams where he didn't have to get all the rebounds and averaged about 5 defensive, so he was not a great offensive rebounder. Moves better and quicker. I have watched a lot of Patriot League games, today Civello would get garbage minutes only. He couldn't compete speed, strength, or athleticism wise. And he could not compete as a big right now; he does not rebound and does not defend well enough. Yes, going to these schools he should get bigger, stronger, quicker etc. If you look at Gold and Sobel today, their bodies are way different from when you saw them in the NESCAC, and I would say better than when they left their D1 schools. So, he has a chance, but it is not like in 6 months he is going to transform himself, it will take a year. The question he has to answer, does he want to be a big fish in a little pond or the other way. As far as D2, yes he would have a chance to play their as well, but the academics, for the most part, will not be the same.

[D3BBALL]

Excited to get back to it this weekend for some NCAA action...

Looking at league awards, when does that even come out? Soon, saw NESCAC released hockey today, maybe later this week. I still think Scott Gyimesi is going to be POTY, for his career body of work. I just have that hunch, saw it a couple years ago in football with Michael Berluti at 1st Team QB. Coaches tend to do that.

I assume there will be two All-NESCAC Jumbos, I'll say Bernstein gets 2nd Team over Medley by a slight edge.

Reilly has to be COTY, and Neville ROTY.

Good luck to all teams this week.

Last year I thought they came out this week, so maybe out shortly.

I know you are a Tufts fan, but Bernstein does not belong on first or 2nd team. Reilly should be the 2nd player

[D3BBALL]

I have Vetter POY. I don't really care about the rest of them and I think they have wholly butchered the all league awards so I don't even care to do first team let alone try and decide who the 13th and 14th best players are. But I think Vetter is the player of the year. I would have no problem with Cuevas winning it and would have a little bit of an issue with Gyemesi winning it but not a huge one.

I do feel (weirdly) strongly about Vetter over Okorougo. I know this will come across as a bit of a hot take after Sunday but Vetter is so clearly their most important offensive player. He makes everyone better. Okorougo just lets mid ranges fly 24/7 and that is largely it, he is not super effective driving to the hoop nor does he post up. He is low volume 3 pt shooter and fairly inefficient at the line despite flopping on most jump shots. He has taken 100 more shots than anyone else on the team and has a negative A/TO ratio. I have been banging this drum for a while since he was ahead of Vetter on AA teams last year and while I feel bad issuing this opinion in this fashion because Okorougo is an outstanding outstanding player who should again be a fringe All American. But I think it would be wrong to give him POY if someone from Trinity gets it.

You make valid points, and I do think if Cuevas wins, it will be because Vetter/Okorougo split votes. I would be ok with Gyimeis winning it over Cuevas, just does way more to affect winning games. Without Okorougo there was no Vetter heroics at the end of the NYU game. But Vetter is just fearless and that is what makes him so good. I have said it a couple of times as well, he gave up stats this year for the betterment of his team.

[SpringSt7]

Gold is 6-7 Civello is 6-10 so more like 3 inches. But their style of play is similar and Gold, not a great defender, is/was way better than Civello as a defender in NESCAC play, Gold averaged almost 7 rebounds per game on a much better teams where he didn't have to get all the rebounds and averaged about 5 defensive, so he was not a great offensive rebounder. Moves better and quicker. I have watched a lot of Patriot League games, today Civello would get garbage minutes only. He couldn't compete speed, strength, or athleticism wise. And he could not compete as a big right now; he does not rebound and does not defend well enough. Yes, going to these schools he should get bigger, stronger, quicker etc. If you look at Gold and Sobel today, their bodies are way different from when you saw them in the NESCAC, and I would say better than when they left their D1 schools. So, he has a chance, but it is not like in 6 months he is going to transform himself, it will take a year. The question he has to answer, does he want to be a big fish in a little pond or the other way. As far as D2, yes he would have a chance to play their as well, but the academics, for the most part, will not be the same.

Ben Callahan-Gold was a small forward who was elite at movement shooting and making tough contested shots. He also did not guard centers. Dan Civello is a stretch 5 who makes open threes at a high clip and scores in the post. In what way they are they similar players?

[nescac1]

I'm Told Scott Gyemesi has a broken ankle

ImTold does not post often but when he does he is typically accurate, so I assume this is true.  What a bummer for Gyimesi and for Tufts, he deserved to go out in the NCAA tourney.  He had a tremendous career and as an Eph fan I will not miss seeing him in the opposing jersey.  Overall a bit of a tough luck year for Tufts, Liam Kennelly, who was more important than his stats, out for the season, whatever the situation with Morakis is, and now the biggest blow of all.  Tufts could have had a monster year with a fully healthy roster.  Still could easily win two in the NCAA tourney as they received probably the best draw of any NESCAC team (relative to their seeding) and hung tough with Trinity without him, but I don't see any way they get past both Wesleyan (most likely) and Trinity/Redlands with their star sidelines.